This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ALMATY 000965 
 
SIPDIS 
 
TASHKENT FOR EPUTNAM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON SENV ENRG EPET KZ ECONOMIC
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN ENVIRONMENT UPDATE; FEBRUARY 28 
 
¶1. Summary:  This information is drawn primarily from the 
Kazakhstani press and has not yet been verified.  The 
opinions expressed in this report, therefore, should not be 
interpreted as official positions and/or policy of the U.S. 
Government. 
 
-- New National Park Established in Southern Kazakhstan Oblast 
-- Epidemiological Situation Bad in Kazakhstan 
-- Kazakhstan Prepared to Effectively Counter Bird Flu 
-- IT Park near Almaty to Manufacture Affordable PCs 
-- The Northern Aral Has Been Saved! 
-- KazSat Launch Scheduled for June 8, 2006 
-- Parliament to Approve KZ's Adherence to the Kyoto Protocol 
-- Dialogue about Shared Water Resources in CA Should Proceed 
-- Almaty on the List of 30 Dirtiest Cities in the World 
 
New National Park Established in Southern Kazakhstan Oblast 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶2. A new national park is being created in Southern Kazakhstan 
Oblast.  Known as the Sairam-Ugamskiy National Park, it will 
be the ninth national park in Kazakhstan, covering an area 
of 150,000 hectares in Kazygurt, Tolebi and Tyulkibas. 
Special attention will be given to critically endangered 
species such as the snow leopard, Tyan-Shan bear and others. 
The goal is to preserve the biodiversity of the unique 
natural complex, as well as its ecological and scientific 
value. (Interfax-Kazakhstan, February 4, 2006) 
 
 
Epidemiological Situation Bad in Kazakhstan 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. According to the Vice Minister of Emergency Situations Valery 
Petrov, Kazakhstan's current epidemiological situation is 
deteriorating due to serious defects in the medical services 
activities of the Sanitary & Epidemiological Service. 3,100 
people suffered from dangerous communicable diseases in 
2005, including 2,525 adult and 408 child brucellosis 
infections.  The situation is worst in the Southern 
Kazakhstan (947), Zhambyl (615), Kyzylorda (434), and Almaty 
(384) oblasts.  Kazakhstan's medical services also reported 
one cholera, 6 malaria and 8 Siberian plague cases last 
year.  Additionally, 120 cases of food poisoning were 
reported, resulting in 9 deaths. MES recommends that the 
Health Ministry toughen requirements and increase 
epidemiological surveillance. (Interfax-Kazakhstan, February 
9, 2006). 
 
Kazakhstan Prepared to Effectively Counter Bird Flu 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶4. The Kazakhstani Health Ministry stated that the republic has 
taken all requisite measures to fight the bird flu.  First 
Vice Minister of Health Aikan Akanov stated during a 
February 8 press conference in Astana, "We are well- 
prepared.  The World Health Organization has hailed our bird 
flu preparedness plan as the best and most effective.  We 
have received supplies of Tamiflu, which today are in demand 
worldwide." (Interfax-Kazakhstan, February 9). 
 
IT Park near Almaty to Manufacture Affordable PCs 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶5. A new IT Park located in a special economic zone in the Alatau 
suburb near Almaty will begin manufacturing affordable PCs 
this May, the State Agency for Informatization and 
Communications (AIC) chair Askar Zhumagaliev announced.  He 
told journalists after the agency's February 24 session in 
Astana that "the IT park will provide joint venture 
opportunities for Kazakhstan with Indian and Chinese 
partners to produce computers and accessories.  Their cost 
will hopefully not exceed $350-400."  The AIC chair stated 
that the IT Park "is funded exclusively by private 
investments from companies that intend to manufacture PCs in 
the tax-free zone." (Interfax-Kazakhstan, February 24, 
2005). 
 
The Northern Aral Has Been Saved! 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶6. This statement was made recently by representatives of 
Kazakhstan's Committee for Water Resources and Kazakhstan's 
Permanent Representative of the World Bank, Loui Brephor. 
Despite the fact that the project regulating the bed of the 
Syrdarya River and the Northern Part of the Aral Sea had 
been projected to take five to ten years, the northern part 
of the Aral Sea is already full.  Within six months, the 
surface area had increased by 33% and the volume by 10km3. 
According to the Chair of Water Resources Committee, A. 
Ryabtsev, the water is now only 10km away from the town of 
Aralsk, compared with 75-80km previously.  There is 
currently so much water in the Northern Aral Sea that 
Kazakhstan is obliged to release water from the Kok-Aral dam 
and allow it to flow south. (Novoye Pokolenie, February 17, 
2006) 
 
KazSat Launch Scheduled for June 8, 2006 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. KazSat, Kazakhstan's first satellite launch, has been 
tentatively scheduled for June 8, according to a 
notification posted February 7 on the official website of 
the Khrunichev Space Center.  According to the statement, 
tests are being carried out in compliance with 
recommendations from an interdepartmental commission in 
order to "evaluate the circuit and engineering schematics 
approved during the KazSat's design stage, as well as the 
adjustments made during ground tests."  A Proton-M booster 
rocket is planned to carry the KazSat satellite from the 
Baikonur Cosmodrome. (Interfax-Kazakhstan, February 8, 2006) 
 
Parliament to Approve Kazakhstan's Adherence to the Kyoto Protocol 
--------------------------------------------- --------------------- 
 
¶8. The Kazakhstani Parliament is ready to approve Kazakhstan's 
adherence to the Kyoto Protocol and recommends that the 
government introduce a draft law on ratification by the end 
of 2006.  In greenhouse emission volume, Kazakhstan ranks 
third in the CIS after Russia and Ukraine, while the 
temperature on the territory of Kazakhstan has increased by 
1.3C degrees during the last century.  World-wide disasters 
are predicted following temperature increases of 10%, 
however the relationship between greenhouse emissions and 
global warming has not yet been proved.  According to 
Environmental Minister K. Mukhamedzhanov, participating in 
the global ecological agreement will at the very least force 
natural resource users to introduce ecologically clean and 
modern technologies.  Following the ratification of the 
international document, Kazakhstan will undertake 
obligations to reduce emissions by 340 million tons a year 
between 2008 and 2012. (Express K, Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, 
Egemen Kazakhstan, February 25, 2006) 
 
 
Dialogue about Shared Water Resources in CA Should Proceed 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶9. At a recent meeting between CAREC representatives and a 
European Commission delegation representing Kazakhstan, 
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Ambassador Andrian van der Meyer 
noted the importance of further cooperation in solving the 
ecological problems of the Ile-Balkhash basin.  The 
possibility of China increasing water extraction from the 
Ili River feeding Lake Balkhash is quite real.  China 
currently withdraws 4.42 m3/sec of water.  According to 
experts, withdrawal of 10 to 15% of the water volume would 
result in the shallowing and salinization of the unique 
lake.  Therefore the regulation of these issues requires 
participation of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China.  Malik 
Burlibayev, manager of the "Development of the plan of 
integrated management in the Ile-Balkhash region" project, 
reported that project participants are making efforts to 
draft and sign an international agreement between the three 
countries based on an ecosystems approach. (Kazakhstanskaya 
Pravda, February 25, 2006). 
 
Almaty is on the List of 30 Dirtiest Cities in the World 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶10. Almaty has recently won a spot on the list of the 30 dirtiest 
cities in the world, primarily due to a sharp increase in 
exhaust gases.  To improve the situation, Almaty Akim 
Imangali Tasmagambetov has made a number of proposals to the 
government including: banning importation of vehicles seven 
years old or older; equipping vehicles with catalytic 
converters; and toughening certification requirements for 
petroleum products. (Kazakhstan-1, Channel 31, KTK, Almaty, 
February 7, 2006; Interfax-Kazakhstan, February 8, 2006) 
 
ORDWAY